COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Our Abbey Pale Ale, reverently inspired by one of the six Trappist breweries (who, for obtuse reasons of shadily inferred copyright and trademark infringement must remain nameless, along with their megalomaniacal American distributor who brought the matter kindly to our attention) is made entirely with imported Belgian malt, and hopped with English Goldings and German Hallertauer. Hop aroma and flavor is emphasized, but balanced, by dry-hopping with these varieties. The yeast used in fermentation is indeed an authentic Belgian strain (we could tell you which one, but then we’d have to kill you. Proprietary brewery info, you understand.) which gives the beer its signature spicy/fruity/funky notes. Golden Ring is a deep gold, slightly hazy as it is served unfiltered and cold-conditioned. It has the aforementioned spicy, fruity, earthy character, and carries additional aromas and flavors of toasted and caramelized malt, and hops and alcohol. The finish is fairly long, with yeast notes and hops vying for space on your palate. Overall this is an interesting, extremely complex, and very drinkable, enjoyable beer which lends itself very well to a wide range of foods.

Draft at the brewpub. Poured a clear golden-light orange color. The head was white and left some lace on the glass. Unusual aroma that included the likes of apple cider and a bit of honey. Not what I expected. Light to medium bodied. Delicately sweet up front with mild bitterness at the end. Fruit forward flavors including apple, lime, and subdued orange. The fruit flavors were supported by some spices, predominantly clove, which were initially muted, but grew in intensity somewhat toward the end. I wasn’t all that impressed with this beer at first, but it grew on me a bit.

GABF 2007. A hazy golden beer with a thin white head. The aroma is sweet and quite spicy - among others I pick up coriander. The flavor is sweet with notes of coriander, leading to a dry spicy and slightly wheaty finish.

On tap at the brewpub. Light, clean Belgian ester nose. Almonds and citrus. Pours a clouded amber, thick and meaty with a rim in off-white. Wow. Intense hop flavor, actually very forward and mixed with delicious phenols. Really grassy and parchingly dry in the hops. Fresh and dank. Reminiscent of marijuana strains. High carbonation actually lifts this a lot. The malt is hidden beneath a wonderful blossom of hops and yeast flavor. A nice beer. Maybe a touch out of balance, but something I’m really digging.

clear dark gold, wispy beige head, streaks of lace, light spicy aroma, nice hop flavor on a dry malt base with some spicy esters adding complexity rather than balance, a touch of candy sweetness comes and goes, the spices give way to robust hop flavor and a long bitter finish, called an abbey IPA it alternates between the two rather than marries them,

Slightly cloudy golden body with a small white head. Light-medium oily body. Not a very tasty beer at all. Generic half roasted malts, a little sweetness, a little citrusy hops, a little bitterness. I didn’t feel any of the advertised wild yeast that many reviewers got. I was looking forward to drinking a Golden Ring but ended-up regretting it. Same goes with many men wearing a golden ring.

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